BRACKEN RIGG BARN DANCE BAND
JEFFRIES' ANGLO CONCERTINA PAGE
Unlike English concertinas, Anglo concertinas are diatonic - two notes to a button (push and pull) and because they
are push/pull, they give lift especially to Irish music and Morris Dancing.
Inside, the reeds and their scales are not dissimilar to those in a mouth organ
A Jeffries 39 key metal-ended anglo, the layout of which is unusual (not an unusual fact for Jeffires concertinas)is shown below.
Originally in flat pitch, this has now been overhauled, re-padded, resprung and tuned into concert pitch by David Leese of Sandbach, Cheshire.
Jeffries concertinas, rated by the late Rev. Ken as the "loudest concertinas made", and mine certainly is, were not
normally numbered, so dating is not really possible, although the address gives some guide as to the period.
As you can see, I take my concertina to bed.
The concertina is marked "C. Jeffries Maker 23, Praed St. London W". Charles Jeffries moved to this address in 1900 and died in 1906 so that is the only guide to the date. His sons carried on the business with few being made during the Great War and production having finished by the early 1920s.
Tuners details are contained inside and show the area it was played in and that it was possibly a band instrument
(and moved from band to band, being retuned at each move) although it seems to have been back to Mr Woods twice in 4 months.
As the concertina was purchased in Doncaster in the early 1970's, Thurnscoe (outside Barnsley) was probably its last port of call.
The lady I bought it from told me her grandfather played it for marches in the 1923 General Strike.
If anyone recognises the Wigan address or Name, or has any thoughts on the button layout, information would be gladly received.
It is curious the box was back for repair twice in three months!
RD.
by R. CRELLIN
9, NORMAN STREET
THURNSCOE E.
Repaired
J H WOODS
27, ALW?OCK
WIGAN
June 1917
Repaired By
J H WOODS
27, ALW?OCK STREET
WIGAN
March 1917
Page Last Updated: 24th May, 2005